Report 

of  the 
President  of  the  Charlotte 
and  South  Carolina  rail  road 


GIlj*  IGtbrarg 
HtttorBttij  of  Nflrtfj  Carolina 


(SLalUttum  of  North  (Earolttuaoa 
©Ijta  bonk  oiaa  prmttteo 

f>3*5.1 

C47ci    ~~ 


■'■'';  :-.,:,  ^fe^SKfaSSoi 


REPORT 


OP  THE 


PRESIDENT  OF  THE  CHARLOTTE 


AND   SOUTH  CAROLINA  MIL  ROAD, 


TO 


THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS. 


ALSO, 

THE  REPORT  OF  AN  EXPERIMENTAL  SURVEY 
OF  THE  ROUTE; 

BY  THEODORE  S.  GARNETT, 
CIVIL  ENGINEER 


COLUMBIA,  S.  C, 

PRINTED  BY  A.  S.  JOHNSTON. 

1847. 


Chester,  acres  of  land,  352,000  do                         2,255,000 

Village  property,  85,000 

York,  acres  of  land,  340,000,  do                         1,249,000 

Village  property,  80,000 


Total,  $10,822,000 

POPULATION. 
Richland,  White,         5,326)  „ 

Black,        11,071  \  ' 


Fairfield,  White,  7,587 

Black,  12,578 

Chester,      White,  10,889) 

Black,         7,856  \  ' 

York,  White,  11,449 

Black,  6,936 


20,165 


18,383 


Total,  $73,699 

Amount  of  Cotton  for  the  four  Districts,  upwards  of  60,000  bales 
annually;  worth  at  present  prices,  $25  per  bale,  or  $1,500,000. 
With  this  array  of  facts,  it  is  evident  that  it  will  be  a  want  of 
spirit  and  not  of  means,  that  will  prevent  the  completion  of  this 
Road.  But,  imposing  as  these  figures  may  appear,  they  but 
partially  discloss  our  resources.  The  Districts  of  Chester  and 
York  are  large  growers  of  Grain,  and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say, 
that  if  their  surplus  produce  for  the  last  two  crops,  could 
have  been  brought  to  market,  and  sold  at  a  reasonable  price, 
it  would  build  the  Road  through  those  districts.  Another  fact 
worthy  of  note,  and  which  will  illustrate  what  may  be  the  effects 
of  a  rail  road  upon  those  districts,  is  furnished  by  the  statistics 
above.  From  its  contiguity  to  Columbia,  and  consequent  facili- 
ty to  market,  the  valuation  of  the  real  estate  of  Fairfield,  and 
its  production  of  cotton,  are  more  than  equal  to  those  of  both  Ches- 
ter and  York  ;  and  those  of  Chester  greatly  exceed  those  of  York — 
while  it  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  in  fertility  of  soil,  they  are 
very  much  upon  a  par.  Is  it  not  then  reasonable  to  expect, 
that  when  equal  facilities  of  transportation  shall  have  been  affor- 
ded to  each  of  them,  that  a  corresponding  increase  in  the  valua- 
tion of  their  lands  and  productiveness  of  their  soil,  will  also  take 
place  1 

But  another  great  advantage  which  is  to  result  from  the  con- 
struction of  this  Rail  Road,  is  the  happy  change  that  will  be 
produced  in  the  agriculture  of  our  upper  country.     A  greater 


scope  will  be  given  to  the  variety  of  our  productions.  Many  of 
the  cereal  grains  which  are  now  raised  but  to  a  limited  extent,  will 
become  desirable  objects  of  cultivation,  and  valuable  substitutes 
for  the  present  extended  and  exclusive  cultivation  of  cotton. 
This  exclusive  system  has  been  the  cause  of  the  premature  decay 
of  our  country ;  its  desolating  effects  are  to  be  seen  in  the  nume- 
rous gullies  and  exhausted  old  fields,that  every  where  present  them- 
selves to  the  eye  of  the  traveller,  and  unless  some  more  amelio- 
rating system  of  culture  be  adopted  to  arrest  its  deteriorating  ef- 
fects, our  upper  country  must  be  abandoned  for  the  more  level 
and  fertile  regions  of  the  "West.  But  abundant  as  are  our  means 
to  construct,  and  beneficial  as  this  road  will  prove  to  our  own  citi- 
zens, fortunately  for  our  stockholders,  they  are  not  limited  to  our 
own,  but  extend  to  our  sister  State  of  North  Carolina.  The  termi- 
nus of  our  Road  at  Charlotte,  brings  us  in  contact  with  one  of  the 
most  fertile  portions  of  that  State,  embracing  some  twenty  counties, 
with  an  intelligent  and  enterprising  population  of  200,000  per- 
sons, and  needing  but  the  quickening  aid  of  cheap  and  rapid  trans- 
portation, to  give  life  and  being  to  the  latent  energies  of  her  people. 
At  present,  there  is  no  incentive  to  labor,  beyond  providing  for 
the  simplest  wants  of  life.  The  surplus  products  of  the  soil  are 
either  suffered  to  waste,  or  are  carried  to  market  at  so  heavy  a 
tax,  as  to  leave  but  a  moderate  compensation  to  the  producer. 
These  shackles,  which  have  so  long  bound  their  trade,  are  about 
to  be  broken  by  the  enterprise  which  we  propse,  "and  all  of  the 
produce,  industry  and  wealth,  which  by  these  improvements  finds 
for  the  first  time  a  market,  is,  as  it  were,  a  new  creation."  But 
important  as  this  Road  will  be  for  the  transportation  of  passen- 
gers and  freight  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  its  line,  yet  there 
is  another  aspect,  equally  favorable  to  the  stockholders,  in  which 
it  may  be  viewed.  It  is  now  contemplated  to  connect  Richmond 
and  Danville  by  a  line  of  rail  way.  And  I  have  been  assured  upon 
good  authority,  that  the  whole  amount  of  stock  has  already  been 
taken,  and  that  there  is  no  doubt  entertained  of  its  ultimate  com- 
pletion. With  the  termini  of  two  Roads  like  the  Charlotte  and 
South  Carolina,  and  the  Richmond  and  Danville,  approaching  so 
near  to  each  other  as  120  or  130  miles,  and  the  intermediate 
country  one  fertile  tract,  occupied  by  an  intelligent  population, 
and  abounding  in  all  the  elements  of  wealth,  it  is  not  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  this  link  will  remain  long  broken  ;  and  this  route  at 
no  distant  period  is  destined  to  become  the  great  line  of  travel 
North  and  South. 


Perhaps  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  at  this  time,  to  make 
some  remarks  as  to  what  will  be  the  profits  of  this  Road,  and  in 
matters  of  this  kind   the   estimates  must  be  mostly  conjectural. 

By  a  reference  to  the  business  done  on  the  Columbia  Branch  of 
the  South  Carolina  Rail  Road,  for  one  year  from  the  first  of  May 
1846,  to  May  1847,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  up  and  down  freights 
amount  to  $172,842,  passage  money  to  $70,495,  making  an  ag- 
gregate of  $243,337.  I  think  it  may  be  safely  assumed,  that 
one  half  of  this  trade  came  from  the  districts  between  the  Broad 
and  Wateree  rivers,  and  from  the  eastern  portions  of  Union  and 
Spartanburgh  districts,  all  of  which  will  pass  over  the  Charlotte 
and  South  Carolina  Rail  Road.  If  therefore,  we  put  the  whole 
trade  of  North  Carolina  against,  the  other  half  which  passed  over 
the  Columbia  Branch,  (and  no  one  will  regard  this  an  over  esti- 
mate) we  may  consider  the  gross  income  of  $243,337,  as  not  being 
more  than  what  we  may  fairly  estimate  as  the  gross  income  of 
our  road.  Striking  off  then  one  half  of  the  gross  income  for  the 
management  and  repairs  of  the  Road,  we  shall  have  a  nett  in- 
come of  $121,168,  or  a  little  over  8  per  cent,  upon  the  capital  of 
$1,500,000,  which  exceeds  the  whole  cost  of  the  Road  and  fitting 
it  up  with  engines  and  cars.  The  bright  prospect  of  the  benefits 
likely  to  accrue  to  the  State  at  large,  from  the  construction  of  this 
Road,  and  the  strong  hopes  held  out  to  the  stockholders  of  a 
profitable  investment  of  capital,  should  stimulate  them  to  the  im- 
mediate prosecution  and  completion  of  this  great  enterprise. 

I  herewith  submit  the  report  of  Mr.  Theodore  S.  Garnett,  the 
engineer  employed  to  make  an  experimental  survey  of  the  line 
from  Columbia,  S.  C.  to  Charlotte,  N.  C. 

EDWARD  G.  PALMER,  President 
Charlotte  and  So.  Ca.  R.  R.   Co. 


REPORT  OF  AN  EXPERIMENTAL  SURVEY  FOR  THE 
CHARLOTTE  AND  SOUTH  CAROLINA  RAIL  ROAD. 
BY  THEODORE  S.  GARNETT— CIVIL  ENGINEER. 

To  the  President  and  Directors  of  the   Charlotte  and  South 
Carolina  Rail  Road   Company. 

Gentlemen  :  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report 
of  an  experimental  survey  made  by  me  during  the  months  of  Oc- 
tober and  November,  in  conformity  with  your  instructions,  to  as- 
certain approximately  the  cost  of  constructing  a  Rail  Road  be- 
tween the  town  of  Charlotte,  in  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and 
the  city  of  Columbia,  in  the  State  of  South  Carolina ;  passing 
near  Winnsborough  and  Chesterville. 

As  the  limit  of  time  allowed  for  the  completion  of  the  survey 
precluded  the  possibility  of  running  more  than  one  line  through, 
after  a  careful  examination  of  the  country,  I  selected  the  route 
on  which  I  thought  a  Rail  Road  could  be  constructed  at  the  least 
cost. 

It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  state  that  the  result  of  the  instru- 
mental examinations  is  even  more  favourable  than  I  had  antici- 
pated. 

A  Rail  Road  can  be  constructed  between  Charlotte  and  Colum- 
bia, 108  3-10ths  miles  in  length,  at  the  moderate  cost  of  $1,471,- 
000,  (fourteen  hundred  and  seventy-one  thousand  dollars,)  as 
shewn  by  the  annexed  estimates,  with  no  grade  ascending  to- 
wards Columbia  exceeding  thirty-two  feet  per  mile,  and  none  as- 
cending towards  Charlotte  exceeding  forty  feet  per  mile.  The 
radii  of  the  curves  will  in  no  case  be  less  than  eleven  hundred  feet, 
and  generally  from  three  thousand  to  five  thousand  feet.  You 
will  thus  have  a  road  as  well  adapted  to  the  economical  transpor- 
tation of  passengers  and  heavy  freight,  as  any  of  its  length  in  the 
United  States. 

The  route  surveyed  may  be  described  as  follows  : 

Commencing  on  the  line  of  the  South  Carolina  Rail  Road,  about 
one  mile  below  the  Columbia  Depot,  it  passes  up  the  valley  of 
Rocky  Branch  for  two  miles  to  the  dividing  ground  between 
that  stream  and  Smith's  Branch,  at  Walnut  or  Blanding  street, 
near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  city ;  thence   passing  through 


the  ridge  by  a  cut  of  twenty  feet  in  depth,  it  crosses  Smith's 
Branch  and  the  northern  boundary  of  the  city,  half  a  mile  from 
Walnut  street ;  thence  running  up  Smith's  Branch,  it  crosses  the 
dividing  ground  between  that  stream  and  Penn's  Branch,  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Congaree  river. 

The  line  then  continues  on  the  east  side  of  the  secondary  ridge, 
which  divides  the  waters  of  Crane  Creek  from  those  of  Gill's 
Creek,  to  a  point  near  the  eight  mile  post  on  the  ridge  road  lead- 
ing to  Winnsborough  ;  here  it  passes  through  the  ridge  by  a  slight 
cut,  and  continues  on  the  west  side,  crossing  Big  Crane  Creek 
above  Elkin's  (formerly  Ford's,)  mill-pond,  and  Little  Crane 
Creek  above  the  ford  of  the  public  road  ;  thence  ascending  for 
two  miles  at  the  rate  of  forty  feet  per  mile,  it  attains  the  crest  of 
the  main  ridge  dividing  Broad  and  Wateree  rivers,  between  Mc- 
Clelland's  and  Smith's,  about  thirteen  miles  from  Columbia. 
Thence  it  follows  the  ridge,  passing  near  Coleman's,  Jones',  the 
Gum  Spring,  (near  Simpson's,)  Woodward's,  the  Anvil  Rock, 
McMaster's  Quarter  and  Clarke's  Quarter,  to  Winnsborough  ; 
thirty-five  and  a  half  miles  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Co- 
lumhia,  and  thirty-eight  and  a  fourth  miles  from  the  starting  point 
on  the  South  Carolina  Rail  Road. 

A  careful  revision  of  the  line  between  Columbia  and  Little 
Crane  Creek,  may  very  probably  effect  a  saving  of  a  mile  or 
more  in  this  distance,  without  any  material  increase  of  cost: 
there  are  also  several  points  between  Crane  Creek  and  Winns- 
borough, where  examinations  should  be  made  in  reference  to  a 
reduction  of  the  distance. 

From  Winnsborough  to  Frank  White's,  1  3-4  miles  south  east 
of  Chester ville,  the  line  follows  the  same  ridge,  except  for  the  dis- 
tance of  about  1  1-4  miles  between  Cockrell's  and  Caldwell's  Quar- 
ter ;  at  this  point,  although  the  deviation  from  the  ridge  throws  the 
line  on  very  broken  ground,  yet  it  saves  both  in  cost  and  distance. 

From  Frank  White's  to  a  point  on  the  dividing  ground  be- 
tween Grassy  Run  and  Rocky  Creek,  two  lines  were  traced,  one 
passing  west  of  the  ridge,  and  within  half  a  mile  of  Chester 
Court  House,  and  another  passing  east  of  the  ridge,  within  one 
mile  of  the  Court  House.  The  line  passing  west  of  the  ridge,  is 
only  3,280  feet  longer  than  the  easterly  line,  and  would  cost  only 
about  $10,000  more  for  its  construction.  The  distance  from 
Winnsborough  to  a  point  near  Robert  Robinson's,  opposite  to 
Chesterville,  is  26  1-5  miles,  about  1  1-2  miles  shorter  than  the 
public  road. 


Between  Chesterville  and  John  Morrow's,  in  Mecklenburg 
county.  North  Carolina,  (10  miles  from  Charlotte)  the  line  crosses 
the  Catawba  River,  and  ten  of  its  tributaries,  viz.,  Grassy  Run, 
Rocky  Creek,  Fishing  Creek,  and  three  of  its  branches,  Half  Mile 
Creek,  Fuller's  Branch,  Steel  Creek,  and  Big  Sugar  Creek ;  but 
owing  to  the  peculiar  formation  in  what  is  called  the  "  Black 
Jack  Flats,"  this  district  of  country  presents  the  most  accessible 
crossings  of  the  stream  and  the  ridges  between  them,  that  I  have 
ever  seen  in  any  country  so  much  elevated  above  tide  water. 
With  the  single  exception  of  the  Steel  Creek  valley,  which  is 
very  rough,  the  descent  to  and  ascent  from  these  streams,  includ- 
ing the  river  itself,  is  remarkably  favorable.. 

The  bridge  across  the  Catawba  River,  will  be  49  feet  above 
low  water,  and  1125  feet  long ;  that  across  Steel  Creek,  46  feet 
above  low  water,  and  130  feet  long ;  and  that  across  Big  Sugar 
Creek,  only  32  feet  above  low  water,  and  130  feet  long.  These 
bridges  are  all  designed  upon  the  plan  known  as  Howe's  patent, 
and  now  most  approved  in  this  country:  they  will  rest  upon  stone 
abutments  and  piers,  made  of  excellent  stone  found  near  their 
respective  sites. 

I  made  a  most  minute  reconoizance  of  the  Valley  of  the  Ca- 
tawba River  and  the  approaches  to  it  on  either  side,  extending 
for  a  distance  of  five  miles  above  and  seven  miles  below  the  Old 
Nation  Ford,  where  the  line  crosses,  and  I  feel  well  assured  that 
no  better  point  for  crossing  can  be  found  between  Thompson's 
Island  and  Turkey  Point,  which  is  below  the  mouth  of  Big 
Sugar  Creek.  That  creek  is  crossed  where  the  line  between 
York  and  Lancaster  strikes  the  North  Carolina  line:  from  this 
point,  easy  grades  can  be  obtained  for  one  mile  to  a  point  near 
John  Morrow's,  whence  a  grade  of  40  feet  per  mile  must  be  used 
for  two  miles,  passing  east  of  an  eminence  known  as  the  former 
residence  of  Ezekiel  Polk,  and  attaining  the  crest  of  the  ridge 
between  Big  and  Little  Sugar  Creeks,  just  beyond  the  Mount  Seir 
P.  O.,  (Maj.  Alexander's  ;)  this  ascent  is  rather  expensive. 

Thence,  a  very  cheap  and  very  direct  line  with  easy  grades 
can  be  obtained  on  the  ridge  for  eight  miles  to  Charlotte.  The 
town  can  be  very  easily  approached  on  either  side  of  the  ridge, 
and  within  the  limits  of  the  corporation.  The  distance  from  the 
point  opposite  Chesterville  to  Charlotte,  is  43  85-100ths  miles, 
being  about  one  mile  shorter  than  the  public  road. 

The  terminus  at  Charlotte  is  544  feet  above  the  starting  point 
on  the  South  Carolina  Rail  Road  :  465  feet  above  the  levelof  the 
2 


10 

Rail  Road  in  the  cut  at  Walnut  street :  200  feet  above  the  bridge 
across  the  Catawba  River,  and  only  77  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Rail  Road,  on  the  ridge  between  Fishing  Creek  and  the  river. 

Although  the  whole  cost  of  the  Road  laid  with  iron  weighing 
63  tons  to  the  mile,  as  shown  by  the  subjoined  estimate,  is  within 
the  average  cost  of  rail  roads  in  the  South.,  and  less  than  that  of 
the  extension  of  the  Georgia  Rail  Road,  between  Madison  and 
Atlanta,  laid  with  the  same  weight  of  iron,  yet  I  deem  it  proper 
to  suggest,  that  a  judicious  economy  may  justify  the  policy  of 
using  at  first,  a  pattern  of  rail  now  in  use  on  the  extension  of  the 
Western  and  Atlantic  Rail  Road,  (the  State  Rail  Road  of  Georgia) 
weighing  about  fifty  tons  to  the  mile.  It  is  found  to  answer  very 
well  there,  and  would  serve  equally  well  for  a  similar  trade  here. 
Whenever  it  became  desirable  to  substitute  for  this  a  heavier  rail, 
it  could  readily  be  disposed  of  to  new  rail  roads  just  commencing, 
and  the  interest  of  the  money  thus  saved  up  to  that  period,  would 
probably  cover  the  reduction  on  the  value  of  the  old  rail.  The 
saving  thus  effected,  would  then  be  just  equal  to  the  difference  in 
value  between  new  iron,  and  iron  which  had  been  used  up  to 
that  period. 

I  have  made  no  estimate  for  the  purchase  of  right  of  way,  as 
I  found,  on  the  whole  route,  an  almost  universal  sentiment  that 
the  Rail  Road  must  be  built,  free  of  all  cost  for  the  space  which 
it  must  occupy. 

It  is  due  to  the  highly  intelligent  and  courteous  community 
along  the  entire  line  of  the  Road,  to  say  that  I  have  never  been 
so  kindly  received,  and  so  much  aided  in  the  prosecution  of  my 
duties,  on  any  snrvey,  as  on  this.  I  need  not  assure  you,  that 
they  and  yourselves  cannot  fail  to  realize  your  fondest  hopes  of 
profit  to  the  shareholders,  and  improvement  to  the  country,  by 
the  completion  of  this  highly  important  work. 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

THEODORE  S.  GARNETT. 

Civil  Engineer. 

Approximate  estimate  of  the  cost  of  the  Charlotte  and  South  Carolina  Rail 
Road,  108  3-10  miles. 

Graduation,  including  masonry  and  bridging  573,147  46 

Superstructure  with  Iron  weighing  63  tons  per  mile,  714,780  00 

Depots  and  Water  Stations,  33  000  00 

Cars,  Engines,  Engineering  and  incidental  expenses,  150,'oOO  00 

$1,470,927  46 


11 

Statement  showing  the  relative  cost  of  Graduation  {including  masonry 
and  bridges)  on  each  division;  and  the  cost  of  the  road  complete. 

1st  Division.  From  the  So.  Ca.  Rail  Road  to  Winnsboro',       $172,541  46 

Length,  38  miles,  1410  feet.     '  * 

Average  cost  per  mile,  $4508  85. 
2d  Division.    From  Winnsborough  to  Chesterville,  120,128  44 

Length,  26  miles,  1070  feet. 

Average  cost  per  mile,  $4584  60 
3d  Division.     From  Chesterville  to  Charlotte,  280,477  56 

Length,  43  miles,  4391  feet. 

Average  cost  per  mile,  $6398  97. 
Whole  length  of  the  road,  1  OS  3-10  miles. 
Superstructure  for  that  length,  with  iron  weighing  63  tons 

Per  mile,  714,780  00 

Depots,  Water  Stations,  Cars,  Engines,  Engineering  and  in- 
cidental expenses,  183,000  00 


$1,470,927  46 
The  above  estimate  may  be  reduced  $105,  000,  by  usiag  a  rail  weighng 


A^ragecost  per  mile,  $13,581 94,  for  road  and  fixtures  com 
plete 


50  tons  per  mile. 


M'i 


croWmed 


Cproiect 


• 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00042072087 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


